’Tis the season for making promises to ourselves that we rarely keep.

Yes, it’s time for New Year’s Resolutions.

Fortunately, the resolutions we as wine drinkers can make are a bit easier to stick to, simply because there’s often a reward for doing so.

For instance, when one resolves to try many different kinds of wine in the new year ahead, that’s not exactly a “chore” — particularly if you belong to one of the wine clubs of Vinesse.

With that in mind, here are three “painless” resolutions for 2012...

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Calistoga, located at “the top” of the Napa Valley, has been a tourist magnet for decades.

But it also is a unique winegrowing area, and in 2009, it finally was granted American Viticultural Area status.

Calistoga has a small-town feel, even though it’s home to a number of high-end spas that are fed by the underground springs. It was those springs that attracted visitors for much of the town’s early history.

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Leave the A1 Sauce in the cupboard and top that steak with a dollop of garlic butter. 

This recipe yields about half-a-cup, enough for 2 to 4 steaks, depending on your personal preference.

And keep in mind that when garlic is the dominant flavor in any meal, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon make very nice wine pairing partners.

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Broccoli is one of those vegetables that’s notoriously difficult to pair with wine.

But when you add garlic to the mix — and it becomes the dominant flavor — then the pairing possibilities multiply.

Serve this side dish with a thick, juicy steak — perhaps topped with a dollop of garlic butter — and you have a delicious meal... not to mention a nice match for Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon.

This recipe yields 5 servings.

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A wise person once observed, “It pays to plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”

With that in mind, there are two big wine events coming up in 2012 that require some advance planning.

One of the most anticipated events each year is the Aspen Food & Wine Classic. In 2012, it will be held June 15-17.

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We’re not sure how many trees it will save in the short term, but over time, we could be talking forests.

It’s a more eco-friendly approach to the traditional restaurant wine list, and it’s catching fire in Las Vegas.

At a number of fine-dining establishments in Sin City, the printed, leather-bound book has been replaced by an iPad, which enables guests to sort not only by wine type, but also by price and region.

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Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions to spelunk through the wine caves of France in 2012?

Then you need the “Metro Wine Map of France” ($25), created by Dr. David Gissen, who is an architectural historian and wine enthusiast.

The map resembles a public transit map — you can take a look at it here (http://www.amazon.com/Metro-Wine-France-David-Gissen/dp/1936880040/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324297004&sr=1-1) — and that design approach helps put France’s wine regions into clear focus.

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I am told that I am one of those rare males who actually enjoys shopping.

I like the process of picking out just the right gift for my darling daughter and my wonderful grandkids (a.k.a. “the angels”).

What I don’t enjoy about the process this time of the year are the crowds and the people I call “amateur shoppers.”

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’Tis the season to be jolly... and to celebrate with good food, good wine and good friends.

Hey, if it weren’t for this time of the year, Weight Watchers would go out of business. So, in the interest of full employment at weight control centers across the country, do your part this month by celebrating in style. You have all of 2012 to work off those extra pounds.

With that in mind, Swiss chocolatier Lindt has embarked on a campaign to inform the public about wine-pairing possibilities with its fine chocolates — which, in bar form, just happen to make excellent stocking stuffers. I’m just sayin’...

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As the editor of The Grapevine, which is the official newsletter of the wine clubs of Vinesse, I often hear from readers who are planning trips to wine country.

In most cases, they’ve done their research on the wineries they want to visit, but are looking for recommendations on where to eat.

Here’s a question that came in recently, along with an answer that may be of interest to anyone who may be Napa-bound over the next few months...

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